Antirattler device for windows and the like



' March 18 1947. E, c, LYQNS' 2,417,656

ANTI-BATTLER DEVICE FOR WINDOWS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18, 1947. E. c. LYONS ANTI-RATTLER DEVICE FOR WINDOWS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. Emmy? 6". L10 12s ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 18, 1947 ()FFICE ANTIRATTLER DEVICE FOR WINDOWS AND THE LIKE Ernest C. Lyons, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application January 8, 1945, Serial No. 571,794

7 Claims. l

My present invention relates to antirattler devices for windows and the like and aims to provide certain improvements therein. More particularly, it relates to such devices which are also suitable for and intended to serve as clamps for drawn window shades, either independently of or in conjunction with their use as window antirattler devices, and this application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 527,371, filed March 18, .1944, now issued as Patent No. 2,378,490 on June '19, 1945. y

In the use and operation of slidable windows, a 'looseness or play frequently develops between the window sashes and the window frame or casing, which play, if not remedied, gives rise in windy weather to vibration and rattling of the window sashes and the attendant annoyance and well known objections thereto; To remedy such conditions when they develop, various devices have been proposed, but so far as I am aware all of these prior devices have been objectionable in one respect or another. manently affixed to the window sash, thus detracting from the appearance thereof; others have been capable of taking care of but limited play between the window frame and sash, while still others have been difficult of manipulation and have caused marring of the painted surface of the window sashes.

My present invention overcomes the foregoing objections by providing devices of the character described which are simple in construction, practically fool-proof in operation, and which possess the added feature .of being adapted to serve as a window shade clamp to prevent .flappingof a window shade when drawn over a partially open window. In its underlying concept my present invention embodies .a device which is preferably not permanently attached to either the window sash or to the window frame and which is so formed as to provide simple manipulative engagement by the fingers of a person desiring to apply the device into operative position or to remove the same from such position, without danger of scratching or .marring the surface finish of either the window sash or the window frame. More specifically, the devices according to my invention each base portion preferably having a feathered endadapted to be inserted between the window sash and the window frame, and a. portion hingedlyconnected to the first por-p tion ,as to provide a bracing 'or wedging action between said sash and window frame when the device is applied in operative relation thereto. I The construction and operation of 'my-improve- 2 ments will be better understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings;

wherein".

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of antirattler device according to my invention Fig. 2 is a section taken along the plane of the broken line2--' 2 of 'Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a section-taken along the plane of the lines-3 of Fig. 2. I

i Fig. 4 is a section taken along the broken line -44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the anti-rattler device shown in Fig. l and the manner of manipulative engagement thereof.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another form of antiratt'ler device according to my invention.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 6 as Viewed from the left thereof.

Fig. 8 :is a section taken along the broken line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Many had to be per- Pig. 9 is a side elevation of still another form of anti-rattler device according to my invention, showing in dash lines the operative position of the device when applied in use.

Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the anti-rattler device shown in Fig. '9, as viewed from the left thereof.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the anti-rattler device shown in Fig. 9 and the manner of manipulative engagement thereof.

. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a supplemental filler member adapted to ,be used with the antirattler device.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to .5 of the drawings, the anti-rattler device 24 may .be said to consist 01 a pair of relatively movable members =25 and 2.6 and a leaf-spring 21. The member 25 which is substantially z-shaped in form, has .a feathered end 28 adaptedztobe'insertedin the space between a window sash 2'1! and a window frame 21, and the member '25. is 'h'ingedly connected at one end thereof to the member 25, preferably slightly below one angle .29 of the 12. .Any type of hinged connection between the parts 25 and '25 may be employed and II hav herein shown .a novel form of hinge provided by inserting between a. pair of spaced openings '35! formed in the ,member '25 slightly below the apex (of the angle .29, a pair of tongues '31 formed at and projecting from one end of the member '26, which tongues, after insertion into the openings '30, are twisted or fiattened, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, to prevent "their removal through the openings while still permit-ting hinged movement between the mombers 25 and 26. The spring 21 as herein shown is a substantially U-shaped leaf-spring which is secured at one end in any desired manner, such as by a rivet 32, to the member 25 adjacent the end thereof opposite to that which is feathered, and the other end of the spring is left free to bear and slide against the rear face of the member 26. Because of the inherent resiliency of the spring it will be apparent that it exerts a force against the hinged member 26 normally tending to provide a dihedralangle 33 between the feathered end portion of the member 25 and the member 26. The ends of the members 25 and 26 remote from the hinged connection are preferably bent, as shown at 34 and 35, respectively, to provide finger engageable portions whereby, when grasped by an operator and pressure is applied thereto, will overcome the tension of the spring 21 to bring the member 26 and the insertable end portion of the member 25 into substantial alignment, as best shown in Fig. 5, in which position the feathered end 28 of the member 25 may be inserted in the space between the window sash and window frame, or any other two members one of which is movable relatively to the other, without danger of marring the finish thereof. Upon releasing the pressure on the finger engaging portions of the device the spring will force the member 26 outwardly so' that the portion 36 thereof will engage the window sash,-and in cooperation with the member 25 will provide a wedging action between it and the window frame, as best shown in Fig. 3.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 6 to 8 closely resembles that hereinbefore described, and primarily differs therefrom in the character of th hinged connection between the members and in the provision of stop means such as 31 for limiting the flexing of the arms of the spring toward each'other. As herein shown, the stop means is in the form of a lip which may be cut from the arm 26 and bent inwardly at an angle thereto, the length of said lip being such as to permit movement of the arm 26 with respect to arm 25 so as to provide a substantially straight angle the'reb-etween but of a length to contact the member 25 and limit the movement 'of' the members toward one another and thereby prevent theflexing of the spring 21 to its snapping point. The hinged connection between the members is provided by forming a pair of T- shaped openings 38 shown in inverted form (in Fig. 7) in the intermediate arm 39 of the Z- shaped member 24 and forming T-shaped prongs or projections 40 on the end of the member 26 remote from the finger engaging end 34 and inserting the cross-heads of the projections through the cross-slots of the openings 38 so that the cross-heads on the projections will ride up into the vertical portions of the T-shaped openings 38 under the tension of the spring 21.

In Figs. 9, and 11 I have shown still another form of hinged connection between the relatively movable members of my anti-rattler device. In this embodiment, the'device consists of a pair of relatively movable members 4| and 42 and a leafspring 43. The member 4| is substantially L- shaped in form having leg portions 44 and 45, the free end of the leg portion 44 being feathered, as shown at 46. Referring t Fig. 10, it will be noted that the leg 44 adjacent the juncture of the legs 44 and 45'is cut away along its opposite sides to provide recesses 41, the reduced width of the material then continuing into the leg 45 which, in proximity to the juncture of the legs,

Y erator against the finger engaging ends 53 and 54, respectively, thereof. The spring 43 may be mounted with respect to the members 4| and 42 in any desired manner and, as herein shown, said spring is held between struck-up lips 55 and 56 of the members 4| and 42, respectively.

On occasion, a window construction may be encountered where the space between the Window sash and the window frame is relatively large, that is to say, where the sash has considerable transverse play within the window frame. While the anti-rattler devices hereinbefore described, if provided with sufiiciently strongly tensioned spring-s, will take care of spaces up to threesixteenths of an inch or so, where such space exceeds this magnitude and the anti-rattler device does not adequately hold the window sash against rattling when applied in position, a filler member such as 51 may be used in conjunction with any of the anti-rattler devices hereinbefore described. This filler device consists of a strip of material bent in the form of a flattened U with one arm shorter than the other. The shorter arm may be formed with an indented or depressed portion 58 and the longer arm may be formed with an indented or depressed teat 59. This filler strip, which is preferably formed of substantially the same width as the feathered end portion of the anti-rattler device, is intended to be slid over onto said feathered end portion so as to increase the thickness thereof and thereby take up some of the additional play between the window frame and the sash. However, in order that said filler device may be suitably held on the feathered end of the anti-rattler device, said end member as illustrated in Fig. 11, may be formed with an opening fill adapted to accommodate the detent or teat 59 on the filler device which would be applied to the anti-rattler with the long arm of the filler device for engagement with the window sash. The various embodiments of my invention hereinbefore described, it will thus be apparent, are adapted for taking up the play between a sash and a window frame where such play is either very limited or of a magnitude of about three-sixteenths of an inch. Where the play is greater than about three-sixteenths of an inch it is preferable that the filler device as above described be used in conjunction with the antirattler device.

The various embodiments hereinbefore described are to be considered as illustrative of the concept underlying my invention, and it is to be understood that changes in details thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising two relatively movable members, one operatively connected adjacent one end thereof to the-other intermediate the ends thereof, one of said members having an end portion adapted to be inserted in the limited space between a window sash and a window frame and the other member being adapted to bear on the window sash beyond the window frame with the operative connection between said parts disposed beyond the window frame and spaced from the window sash, said members having parts remote from the insertable end portion and from the operative connection between the members adapted to be grasped between the thumb and a finger, and resilient means normally urging the graspable parts of said members apart and providing an obtuse dihedral angle between the insertable end portion of the one member and the other member, said obtuse dihedral angle between the members being adapted to be increased to substantially a straight angle upon the application of force to the graspable parts of the members against the tension of the resilient means for applying the device into operative position.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a member having an end portion adapted to be inserted in the limited space between a window sash and a window frame, a second member hingedly connected to the first member intermediate the ends thereof, spring means normally urging the ends of the members remote from the insertable end portion apart and providing an obtuse dihedral angle between the insertable end portion of the first member and the second member, and the ends of the members remote from the insertable end portion and from the hinged connection having offset portions engageable by the thumb and finger of an operator for applying force to said ends for overcoming the spring tension whereby the insertable end portion of the first member and the second member may be brought into substantial alignment for applying the device into operative position between a window sash and a window frame.

3. A device of the character described, comprising two relatively movable members, one of said members having a substantially L-shaped portion, one leg of which is adapted to be inserted in the limited space between a window sash and a window frame, the other of said members being hingedly connected to the first member in proximity to the juncture of the legs of the L-shaped portion and adapted to bear against a window sash when the device is applied in operative position, and resilient means disposed between the members normally providing an obtuse angular relation between the insertable end of the first member and the second member, which angular relation between said members is adapted to be increased by the application of pressure on the members in opposition to the resilient means.

4. A device of the character described comprising two relatively movable members, one of said members having a substantially L-shaped portion, one leg of which is adapted to be inserted in the limited space between a window sash and a window frame, the other of said members being hingedly connected to the first in proximity to the juncture of the legs of the L-shaped portion, resilient means disposed between a part of the member having the L-shaped portion and the other member normally urging a divergence of said members at the hinged connection, and cooperating means between the members at the hinged connection for limiting the angular movement of said parts.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the resilient means is a leaf-spring.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the resilient means is a leaf-spring which is flexed to substantially U-shape.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the resilient means is a leaf-spring which is flexed to substantially U-shape and means for limiting the flexing of the arms of the spring toward each other.

ERNEST C. LYONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date British May 26, 1921 Number Number 

